You've heard from the Unions, the independent senators, the independent media and the opposition on the proposed BTL acquisition of SMART, but last night there were new voices chiming in. A group called the Civic Fellowship Academy held an online webinar to share different perspectives on the issue of burning public interest. The panel featured former BTL CEO Anwar Barrow, and Ashley Longford from the Commonwealth Student Association - among others. Here's what their conversations looked like.
Darrel Bradley, Attorney at Law
"One of the things that I wanted to jump right out there out the gates is, this wrong statement that is put out there by politicians that this is a transaction between 2 private companies that is not correct that is patently false. So we have to first appreciate that telecommunications in Belize is a heavily regulated industry so there is the telecommunications act that regulates any kind of transaction and the industry of telecommunications and the provision of telecommunications services in Belize. So in order to get into this market first of all you have to be a licensee so no person can just get up and provide telecommunications services you have to make an application to the public utilities commission and everything that you do is a heavily regulated issues."
Anwar Barrow, CEO, CRNCY Group
"In matters which are of significant strategic implication directors will consult with the shareholders who appoint them so it is not accurate to say if the prime minister says or the CEO of SSB says or whoever say oh that is on the board I don't have anything to do with that, that is in one sense true but in another sense for certain matters this is the key delineation the key distinction for matters of heavy strategy or significant importance such as an acquisition the directors consult with the people who appoint them because ultimately the people who appoint them in this case, the government of Belize by way of the prime minister, the social security board or the small shareholders in the majority can remove those directors and replace them with others, there is a process they have to call a meeting, so on and so forth but they ultimately have the power."
Ashley Longford, Representative, Commonwealth Student Association
"One of the biggest ways of trying to educate more young persons is going to them, it is going to them, meaning you would go to a university, go to a tertiary level institution you know you ask and you look at different youth organizations as well. Like I partner with a lot of different youth organizations such as rise Belize there is national student union of Belize, YLAB there is the NTUCB Vanguard there is so much different youth organizations that have young people apart of those things that they want to know what's going on. Like I said in the beginning part a lot of times we don't know what was the history of BTL, and what it was. And thanks to Anwar and Darrel for explaining what it truly meant and the history behind that so in having these panel discussions like I am happy I had the idea of bringing the idea to you Ms Aria because I think it is needed but it needs to be more as well too."
You can see the webinar on Facebook on Aria Lightfoot's page.
